The unique feature of the velvety, brown cigar-shaped flowers and long, lanceolate leaves of the cattail are a common observed sight throughout Ohio wetlands. Cattails have long been known to play an important role as food source and shelter for some marsh-dwelling animals. However, with the invasion of the non-native cattail Narrow-leaved cattail, this no […]

NELSONVILLE, Ohio – Research beginning this week on the Wayne National Forest will explore whether a native fungus can help land managers rein in an aggressive, non-native invasive tree that has been steadily encroaching on Ohio forests, particularly in the southern half of the State.

Trial sites include the Wayne National Forest, Athens Ranger District-Marietta Unit; Tar Hollow, Perry, and Blue Rock State Forests; and the Wilds a private, nonprofit wildlife conservation center in Muskingum County. Joanne Rebbeck, a USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station scientist will inoculate Ailanthus trees with Verticillium nonalfalfae (V. nonalfalfae) to evaluate how effective it might be in controlling Ailanthus. Forty trees will be inoculated with the fungus at each of the five sites.

On the particularly hard-hit Marietta Unit, almost 3,000 seed-bearing Ailanthus located through aerial surveys across 124,000 acres, which is one reason to focus the study in this area because herbicide treatments on this large a scale would becost-prohibitive.

“Throughout Ohio, Ailanthus has the potential to replace oak and other native tree species and dramatically affect native food sources for wildlife,” said Tony Scardina, Wayne National Forest supervisor. “Research at the Wayne National Forest this summer will help assess the potential value of V. nonalfalfae as a non-chemical, sustainable means of controlling Ailanthus, which could be a first step in restoring healthy native forests.”

The effect of V. nonalfalfae, often called “Ailanthus wilt,” was first documented in Pennsylvania in 2002 by Penn State researchers. Rebbeck, shown here, has studied the fungus in the lab and greenhouse and has contributed to studies showing that V. nonalfalfae does not affect over 70 species of trees and shrubs, including Ohio tree species such as ash, beech, elm, hickory, and oak.

“In addition to studying the effectiveness of V. nonalfalfae as a biological control for Ailanthus, this research will also explore how native forests respond when Ailanthus is absent,” Rebbeck said. “Do native trees regenerate, or will another invasive species replace the Ailanthus?”

Ailanthus, also known as “tree of heaven,” is a native of Taiwan and central China that was introduced to the U.S. by a gardener in Pennsylvania in 1784. The tree is a master of regeneration, growing 3 to 4 feet in its first year, producing 300,000 seeds per female tree, and spreading through root systems. Ailanthus is often found in open spaces, but is increasingly found within disturbed forest sites.

“The aggressive growth habits of Ailanthus are a threat to the biodiversity of Ohio’s forests,” said Robert Boyles, Ohio Department of Natural Resources deputy director and state forester. “The results of this research could have a significant, positive, and lasting effect on forest health throughout the state.”